GameStop to close 200 stores

https://www.polygon.com/2019/9/11/20860750/gamestop-layoffs-store-closures-sales-earnings-stock-price-quarterly-report

And even more to come apparently. One day we'll be telling our grandkids what it was like to go into a store and buy a game lol.

@SolidGame_basic: Best Buy will still be around! I’m personally making sure of it

They still have that many stores?

Good new, second hand games (where games makes 50% of its profits) are hurting developers.

@goldenelementxl: I'm hoping he means used games, cause Target/Best Buy/Walmart ain't going anywhere, and certainly never gonna get rid of their new game sections. I do know Best Buy tried to absorb GameStop's practices, but realized it was a dead end, maybe they still do buy used, but they got rid of the members card and magazine. Point being, video games will not ruin any of these stores, it would take exterior forces to shut them down.

Blockbuster, Toys R Us and now GameStop. People say why its bad, like John Immortal Hancock did a vid about how retro stores buy games at GameStop to resell at their stores and will hurt them if GS is gone, yet, like I saw someone say today on social media, just like vinyl/cds, the main corporate stores will disappear and niche shops will take over, its just a shift in how things work, not an end.

Traditionally, there is 4 places you generally take used games, GameStop, Greywhale, FYE or Retro Shop in Mall. All give pretty shitty money and all have overpriced games I mostly use GS, but if they were gone, I have zero problem going to Greywhale for all my used game trade in and purchases. Although I'd probably just use Amazon.

@goldenelementxl: I will be supporting them too. I have gamers club unlocked until March and I have my best buy credit card lol.

I get a game for sometimes 50% of what it would cost brand new; GameStop gets more money to restock their shelves with new software; developers get paid. That's a win/win/win as far as I'm concerned.

If developers and publishers had their way, games would be locked to a single system and would sell at full price in perpetuity.

Me walking out of Gamestop stores.

I know there will be people celebrating Gamestop's demise. But I know it will be bad news either way when they go. Same deal with Barnes and Noble (which I am a member of) and books. Say what you will about Gamestop, but when they go, physical games go. Especially when a certain big name in retail recently screwed up on their video game department.

And shame on cleanprincegaming for banking on this on YouTube, much to the point of people losing their jobs.

That said, actually reading those articles. They still have around 5,000 stores, so... yeah.

Yeah I agree... everyone puts sh*t on Gamestop (EB Games here in Aus), but it'd be bad if they all closed down. EB Games is our only dedicated video game store here in Aus now. I'd definitely miss having them.

It wasn’t really my favourite place to shop for games but I do find this news to be sad on a couple of levels. Firstly people are losing their jobs. Secondly this signifies a continuing dwindling of physical formats for games which is something that I never want to see go away.

Out of your three examples only Blockbuster didn't go belly up due to its own ineptness. The other two (well one I guess) had no one to blame but itself and GS seems to be going down the same path. All in all it is a shame.

I always avoided GS and went to Best Buy regardless it's sad that physical gaming media is dying. As someone that games on PC I'm use to digital but I always want a retail copy with consoles while I still have the option.

I'm just circling around my local Gamestop like a Vulture now, waiting for the clearance sales so I can buy last-gen titles on PS3 that I kinda miss out lol😁

That sucks, guess you folks will have to switch to PC and get your games cheap and digital instead of expensive and physical.

Too bad about the unemployed people, though. 500 stores? That must be like 400 people laid off...

Oh no! Physical gaming is on its death bed.

I don't get this as if say a dev makes a game and Gamestop buys a 1000 copies then the dev gets their money, and if Gamestop then allows a trade in then they are the ones losing money as eventually they will need to lower the price of their remaining stock of that game to clear stock, but if the game sells like hot cakes then Gamestop will contact the distributor and order more copies and the developer makes even more money.

Now second hand copies does have an effect but you're over stating it.

With that said I hope physical stays around always as an option.

Like I've always said I like my games like I like my women, and that's physical :)

1) no one should ever go PC, and 2) no one should ever go PC.

It is funny seeing your hermits cheer getting games cheap and thus not really supporting devs and yet pay through the nose for your PC parts and thus support tech companies lol.

Hermits are whack.

PS...On console games are cheaper in physical format over digital, here where I live anyway.

Interesting how you don't want exclusives and games should be on all formats, and yet you enjoy seeing physical going the way of the dinosaur.

So tell me having more options is bad to you? having to get off of your arse to go get a game bad to you?

Must be nice being a lazy person, I bet you can't wait to get too old to wipe your own arse so people can do it for you :)

@i_p_daily: All that aggression doesn't mean anything to me because the market is in my favor. :)

I know, me and my 10,000 dollar PC. And only to play 2D indie games. What a waste :P

But if you think buying physical means more money for developers, you are sorely mistaken.

Anyway, I have my reasons for going digital. Mostly because Gamestop might have been good for new releases and trade ins, but terrible for literally everything else.

I wouldn't say I am "cheering" that they are closing, though; would rather people have more access than less, and these stores closing means less access.

Gamestop clearly should have limited the number of stores they opened up years ago when they bought EB Games. I wouldn't be surprised if they close more than 200 stores. They clearly over saturated the market with the number of stores they opened up or turned into Gamestop when they bought out EB Games.

I care not. The future is digital.

Nobody has a collection of music or movies anymore, so why should games be any different.

I told my bro that we should blow our money once GameStop goes bankrupt.

Lmao I guess I'm not wrong.

@thereal25: I have around 700 CDs and about 300 DVD/Blu-ray. But I don't replay games like I watch movies and listen to music.

For me these days it's basically:

music - youtube,

tv/movies - digital subscriptions

and games - Steam.

Although I have fond memories of waiting in line at Gamestop for midnight releases, and taking advantage of their buy 2 get 1 free used game deal, I do see them being obsolete soon. We have Ebay and Amazon to buy/sell our used games/consoles, and Walmart/Best Buy etc to buy new games/consoles. Gamestop's trade in value is a running joke and people are sick of it. No matter what happens, I hope Game Informer continues to print. Also, I really hate that Gamestop opens new games and molests them and then shrinkwraps them again before putting them on the shelf.

It won't be too long before super markets likle best buy/target or asda/Tesco in UK stop sticking games as it will be all digital

@thereal25: You're not wrong about digital being the future, but it's not a future I'm very fond of. So much is sacrificed on the altar of convenience. Delayed gratification... seeing the sun... midnight launches...box art and manuals...pure freedom. I'll hold on until I can't. But we'll be living in waterworld soon, so I shouldn't have to wait too long.

But more on topic: I don't love GameStop, but I do long for a dedicated game store. It's just that they turned into glorified pawnshops, filled with shady practices and f'ing Funko pops! With retro gaming being so popular they should sell classic games, flight sticks, etc as well. Make it about all gaming and not just flavor of the month crap. But it's probably too late.

they have like over 5,000 locations

They should turn the rest into retro and tabletop gaming stores.

I'd actually go to those stores if I had a chance to find some good old games. You know, the ones that are actually worth collecting.

As much crap as the music industry gets, they're actually doing digital correctly with high quality (in some cases lossless) DRM free formats that the consumer owns and is allowed to use however they want.

Yeah, they're all within five miles of each other.

There were a total of 3 within 15 miles or less.

Now theres just one.

When Blockbuster went belly up, they should have realized they were next and done more to diversify their products and services.

But given how much money they've taken out of customer's pockets over the years, I'm finding it hard to generate a fvck to give for them as a company.

Can't really comment because we don't have Gamestop where I'm from but, sounds like a good thing.

good, they should start closing some in my area - i have 6 gamestop's within a 5 mile radius of where i live, its ridiculous

What do you Aussies have over their as a token Gamestop?

Is anyone surprised? Most of the stores I go into are more than half full of non-game shit like those stupid bobble head things. Seriously, who buys that kind of stuff?

@davillain-: EB Games I'd say! They aren't too bad though. I think the same goes for the UK.

Never knew EB Games were still around. I do miss'em here in the U.S :(

The "market" are lazy people such as yourself is what you mean lol.

Also aggression? nah man just humour :)

Tragic. The business failed to evolve effectively.

@davillain-: We have EB Games in Canada as well.

@SOedipus:

Probably people who collect those Pop Vinyl figures. I seen them in comicbook stores.

@FinalFighters:

I have three within a few miles of one another. Like one's inside a mall, another near a Target and another inside a shopping center like 20 miles away.

Seems to me you are angry you have to waste your time and gas getting a game only to be do the same thing I am doing, download the game to the system to play it. I don't do things the longest and most inefficient way just cause. :)

Digital isn't going to be the future.

Digital was already the future ages ago and consoles are like always slowlee catching up on this department. The only reason physical is pushed hard is by sony, not even nintendo cares really. They just provide it as a option but even there boxed consoles all come with digital codes now.

Consoles where the last department of physical everybody else already moved on. As u can clearly see when it comes to DLC solutions, and updates that even nintendo is pushing etc.

Because the people that otherwise would have bought a new copy now bought a second handed copy which results in the dev not seeing a cut off it.

Why do you also think that they care about new copy's to start with? they could even price those copy's for like 2x the price of a used one and just endlessly buy those up and resell. Now the dev won't see money anymore.

Why do you think they pushed that aggressive sale business forwards? they always ended up reselling used copy's as straight up new as there cut is probably going to be A lot more better.

But even without the resell market, the money gets heavily split up from devs to a middle man that is completely not needed in this day of age anymore.

So selling a physical copy = a investment of the devs and gives them a far lower cut to start with. They are better of throwing the game for cheaper on a digital store, as they cannot trade the game anymore in or resell it, and can push commercials specifically targeted at that consumer + discounts and offers tailored for him or her + selling his information for even more money towards other company's.

Gamestop is completely useless for developers and frankly in 2019 people still caring even remotely for these company's is just mind boggling.

Honestly buying a used copy from gamestop is about the same as piracy. U will not support the devs which results in the same solution.

There's a reason why lots of company's now sell codes cards in there boxes from physical copy's.